A Pho Love Story by Loan Le, Read by Ryan Do and Vyvy Nguyen

Every Monday through Friday, AudioFile’s editors recommend the best in audiobook listening. We keep our daily episodes short and sweet, with audiobook clips to give you a sample of our featured listens.

Ryan Do and Vyvy Nguyen charm listeners in A Pho Love Story, a tale of star-crossed lovers and mouthwatering foods, told in fast-paced alternating first-person chapters. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly discuss this sweet YA romance about two teens who fall for each other despite their family’s long-running rivalries. Bao Nguyen waits tables in his family’s Vietnamese restaurant, and Do conveys his anxieties about coasting without any real focus in school or out. When he has a chance encounter with Linh Mai, the daughter of his parents’ rivals, sparks fly. Nguyen’s compelling narration of Linh ensures that listeners hear the joys and fears she feels over her secret friendship—and relationship—with Bao. Both narrators convey the thrills of first love and the teens’ loyalty to their families and community.

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